Railway-velocipede



(No Model.)

G. W. MILLER.

RAILWAY VELOGIPEDE. Y No. 289,017. Patented Nov. 27. 1883.

lhvirn Srarns ATEN'r Fries.

GEORGE YV., MILLER, OF KLAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

RAILWAY-VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part ot' Letters Patent N0.`289,01'7, datedNovember 27', 1883.

Application tiled April 13, 1883.

To @ZZ when@ if: may con-cern: f

Be it known th at I, GEORGE W. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kalamazoo, county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, haveinvented newr and useful Improvement-s in Bailway-Velocipedes, of whichthe following is a specification.

lily invention has forits object certain iinprovenients in theaxle-bearings, the brake, and the operating mechanism of railway-ve-.locipedes In the'drawings, forming a part of this specication, Figure lis a front elevation of arailway-velocipede; Fig. 2, a broken side View,looking from the left of Fig. 1, with wheel A removed, showing its axlein section. Figs. 3 and a show the brake device, the former being a sideview of the latter, looking from the left hand, and the latter a topview ofY the former, and a top view of the right-hand side of Fig. l;Fig. 5, a side view of the operating mechanism, looking against the endof the seat-board o, and against the side of the handlever h in Fig. l;Fig. 6, a broken portion of Fig. 5 folded up; and Fig. 7, the same asFig. 2, showing two pivoted bearingwheels instead of one.

The forward truss, 1' r, of the velocipede-franie [is provided withpendent castings forming rect-angularly-recessed boxes a. a at each end,in which boxes t-he revoluble axle Bis loosely located. IThe recess inthese boxes is wider than the diameter of the axle B to a degree thatsaid axle cannot be in frictional contact with only one wall of therecess at a time, Fig. 2-that is, when the device is running forward theaxle will bear against one wall, and when the device runs backward theaxle will shift over and bear against the oth er wall, thus having theleast possible stationary bearing to the track-wheel axle. To theseboxes a a bearingwheels c c are pivoted, in a position that their lowerperiphery cornes a little below the upper side or wall of therectangular box c. Each of these wheels c has an independent pivotrigidly secured to the box c. In such a construction the points offriction are only three-at the bearing-wheel pivot, where said wheelrests on the track wheel axle, and where said axle comes in contact withone wall of the box a. This makes the device very simple, easy of draft,steady in (No model.)

motion, and greatly facilitates the operation, both in running thevelocipede and in the care of-it. If it is needed to support the frameor` truss, a like recessed box a." may be located near the center,secured to the frame, as in Fig. 5. The truss r r, with its burden offrame,

seat, and operating mechanism, is placed detachably on the roundrevcluble axle B, said axle being received in the rectangular recessesof the boxes c a', as before stated, and the lower periphery` of thebearing-wheels cc resting on the upper side of the axle B.

To prevent danger of the device jumping from the axle, detachable pinsor bolts e e are inserted through the side walls of the boxes c a',below the axle, Fig.) 2. By referring to this figure it will be observedthat when the velooipede is in motion the loose axle B has only twobearing-points, one against the pivoted wheel c, which thus supports allthe burden with an easy friction, and the other against the side wall ofthe box ci', which steadies the axle, preventing a trembling or waveringmotion, so common in roller-bearings. If preferred, two bearing-wheels,c c', Fig. 7, may be employed, in which case the axle B has nostationary bearing-point, `as in Fig. 2, but equal ease in running isattained. To the bar R of the frame, which bar extends rearwardly fromthe right-hand end of the truss r, is secured a perforated casting, e,in which is pivotally located a brake-bar, y, said .bar extending from apoint forward of the axle B, thence rearwardly to the casting e, thenceat right angles through said casting to therear side of wheel A, andthence upwardly, terminating in the usual brake-shoe, x, Figs. 3 and 4.An S-shaped spring, S, is secured at one end to bar R, and the other endcatches under a projection on the brake-bar 31,-as shown in said Figs. 3and 4.

In operating the brake, the operator, sitting on sea-tc, bea-rs down onthe forward end of bar y, which sets the brake-shoe against the wheel A.l/Vhen the foot is removed, the spring S raises the front end of bar i,which releases the brake. Such a brake device is very convenientlyoperated,and agreat fri ctional bearing secured against the wheel withbut slight movement of the bar y, and requires but little strength ofthe operator.

To a rear extension of bar R a third wheel IOC) .are held by theelasticity of the bail.

is connected in the manu facture of the device. (Not here shown.)

The velocipede is driven by a gear with which the foot-treadle I? andthe hand-lever h are connect-ed by a crankshaft, i. rIhis gear mesheswith a gear secured to the revoluble axle B, said gears being shown indotted lines in Fig. 5, merelyto show their relation with other parts. Arocking bar, n, with open recess e, is detachably placed over and on arod which pivotally supports the hand-lever 7L, Figs. l and 5. This baru extends rearwardly and catches under the forward end of the seat-framef, which forms a stop, holding said bar n in a horizontal position whenat rest.

A bail, c, is pivotally connected with the forward end of bar n. Its twodownwardlyextending arms are bent in toward each other at the ends andinserted in eyes on the front side ofthe footlever, iu which eyes saidends These ends may thus be sprung out of the eyes when d .desiring todetach the bail and rocking bar n for packing or repairs.

shipment.

rlhe foot-treadle P is pivotally connected with the lower end of thehand-lever by bars. t t. By means of such a construction ofpivotally-eonnected parts they may be folded up, as iu Fig. 6, forstorage or The rear ends of bars t thave a senesten -what I claim as newis- 1. In a velocipede, the combination of the brake pivotal castingsecured to the frame, the brake-bar extending from the front side of theaxle rearwardly, thence atvright angles through said casting, and thenceupward, terminating with a brake-shoe, and a spring secured to the frameand catching under the projection of the brake-bar, all substantially asdescribed and shown.

2. The combination of the seat-frame, the hand-lever and foot-treadle,the recessed detachable rocking bar, the pivoted detachablyconnectedbail, and the bars having the adjusting pivot-holes connecting thefoot-treadle and hand-lever, all constructed and adapted to operatesubstantially as set forth.

lVitnesses:

D. H.. Si-rnrAnnsoN, H. P. DnNisoN.

